Fourdrinier machine with flexible side rails



S. 'MILNE Dec. 14, 1943.

'FOURDRINIER MACHINE WITH FLEXIBLE SIDE RAILS Filed Jan. 25, 1940 I INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY. H

Patented Dec. 14, 1943 OFFICE FOURDRINIER MACHINE WITH FLEXIBLE SIDE RAILS Samuel Milne, Edinburgh, Scotland; Samuel Hird Milne and John Innes Melvin executors of said Samuel Milne, deceased Application January 23, 1940, Serial No. 315,259 In Great Britain July 26, 1938 3 Claims. ,(01. 92 45) This invention relates to improvements in paper-making machines and is directed more particularly to paper-making machines of the Fourdrinier type. Y The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision in a paper-making machine of the Fourdrinier type of novel siderails which support the tube rolls and which are flexi-. ble horizontally or back and forth in horizontal planes as distinguished from vertically.

One of the problems heretofore encountered in connection with Fourdrinier paper machines has been to avoid friction between the wire and supporting tube rolls not only to obviate wear and injury to the wire but to overcome the objection of the tendency of the shake to be mor or less localized rather than spread out or distributed to the extent desired. Attempts have been made to overcome this and other objections by 'providing side rails that were in hinged-together sections so that a section or sections of a rail could be vibrated or shaken but such arrangements are not satisfactory and are not sufiiciently responsive 0r adjustable for the various types of paper or operating requirements.

According to this invention, the side rails are characterized by a considerably greater crosssectional depth or height than transverse or lat eral thickness so as to be readily flexible from end to end in a horizontal direction and at the,

flexibility of the rails is taken advantage of by means of plural shaking or vibrating means, all to the end that various effects may be obtained and not only is the flexibility of the rails availed of for the most efficient shaking action but the construction and arrangement as a Whole provides the desired flexibility or responsiveness whereby the apparatus lends itself to exactingv requirements in connection with all kind of paper-making operations.

Various other novel features and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter more fully referred to in the accompanying description of the preferred form of th invention.

In the drawing: 7 Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a Fourdrinier I paper-making machine, more or less diagrammatic, showing the novel features of the invention associated therewith; I

Fig. 2 is a plan'view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of one of the side rails of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevational view through one of the side rails shown in connection withthe machine in Fig. 1. i

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully-described. I

he paper-making machine shown more or les 'diagrammatically in Fig. 1, due to the rela tively small scale, has a head box 2' at the breast roll end. Supports 4 at either side of the machine constituting a frame work have vibrating supports 5 movable horizontally and transverse- 1y of the machine and a breast roll-6 is journalled therein. Brackets such as 8 are movable with the member 6 while other stationary brackets ID are associated with frame support 4.

The movable member or members 5" may be called the vibrating members at the wet end of the machine. It is intended that roll 6 and vibrating parts be vibrated when desired.

Frames l2 at opposite sides of the other end of the machine and constituting a frame work have members M slidable up and down therein. A hand wheel I6 is provided which is operably connected in the usual way as by a screw and worm mechanism to the slidable members 14 to,

raise and lower said members.

Brackets! are fixed to the frames l2 and other brackets 20 are fixed to the vibrating parts of members M. An intermediate roll [9 is journalled in parts I5 of slidable members It which are vibratable as by being flexible. These mem-f to the vibrating members 8 and 20 or the sta-.

tionary members I0 and I8. When the endsof the rails are connected to the vibrating parts 8 and 26, the rail ends are vibrated as those parts are vibrated Whereas when the said ends ofthe rails are connected to members and i8 the ends are held against vibration.

The ends of the rails may be connected to the vibrating and non-vibrating members in various ways. For clearness the members and rail ends are shown as having openings 26, 28, 30 and 32 therethrough that receive bolts or pins for securing the ends of the rails to the vibrating parts or to the stationary parts, as may be desired.

The parts carrying the breast roll 6 and the roll l9 may be arranged to vibrate or move back and forth in various ways to the end that vibration may be imparted to the said rolls. Further adjacent portions of the side rails 24 may be connected thereto when desired so as to vibrate or be shaken therewith.

The rails 24 are beam-like in construction, their depth or height being considerably greater in dimension than the dimension of their lateral thickness, thereby providing rails that from end to end are extremely flexible horizontally or transversely of the machine. The relatively greater height provides great strength for supporting the tube rolls which in turn support the Fourdrinier wire.

The tube rolls are represented by 34, and the journal bearings therefor, which may take any desired form, are indicated by 36 in Fig. 4. There may be associated with the upper edges of the said side rails.

The side rails 24 are also preferably characterized by a greater depth intermediate their ends than at said ends for purposes of strength, whilst having the horizontal flexibility they provide adequate supports. One or more transverse members 38 are provided which are secured at their ends in some suitable manner to the side rails. These serve to tie the rails together so that as shake or vibration is imparted to one the other rail is vibrated thereby.

A plurality of shake-producing or vibrating mechanisms are provided which are represented by 40. These mechanisms may take any form well known in the art and may be motor driven or operated by belts from a suitable source of power engaging pulleys 4| thereof.

These mechanisms usually have a shaft such as 42 that is vibrated to move back and forth or axially through variable distances or amplitudes as may be desired. The shafts are provided with the necessary flexible connections to allow up and down movements of the rails while imparting the desired and necessary vibration.

The shaft of that vibrating mechanism at the wet end of the machine is connected in such a way as to vibrate or shake the breast roll-carrying members, while the shaft of the vibrating mechanism at the opposite or dry end of the machine is connected so as to vibrate the roll l9 and its associated parts. The other intermediate vibrating mechanisms have their shafts connected to the side rails at spaced points intermediate their ends and, as shown, the connections are adjacent the transverse members which extend between the spaced rails 24.

The paper machine will include the usual and necessary elements such as the vacuum boxes 44, deckle straps 46, and supporting rolls 48 and other features.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the side rails are extremely flexible from end to end whilst functioning adequately as supports for the tube rolls. This construction is to be distinguished from rails that consist of hingedtogether sections which are non-flexible and are substantially rigid between their points of hingmg.

With the improved construction of this invention, either one or both ends of the rails may be vibrated with the breast and intermediate roll respectively. Or either one or the other of the rail ends may be held against vibration relative thereto while intermediate portions of the rails may be vibrated independently of either one or both of the rail ends or in synchronism therewith, all to the end that Various results may be obtained.

Not only are the rails horizontally flexible to obtain novel vibrating effects but the operation of the machine is flexible within a wide range. The flexibility makes it possible to vibrate the rails at one point to a greater or less degree than at another and the vibrations at any point are not objectionably localized, wherefor the vibrations at one point blend as desired with those at another.

Due to the flexibility of the side rails and their novel function, it is possible to overcome the objections and disadvantages of the prior art and obtain the desired spread of shake and control thereof and easily and quickly adapt the apparatus for the making of various grades and types of papers.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination in a paper making machine of, stationary supporting frames at opposite ends of the paper machine each having spaced relatively immovable-members to which opposite ends of a pair of side rails may be secured, members associated with each supporting frame movable back and forth horizontally thereon to which opposite ends of rails may be secured, separate means at opposite ends of the machine connected to said movable members for moving them back and forth, spaced flexible continuous side rails at r the sides of the machine extending between said supporting frames, spaced tie members extending between said rails intermediate the ends thereof secured thereto for tying said rails together, and

2. The combination in a paper making machine of, stationary supporting frames at opposite ends of the paper machine each having spaced relatively immovable members to which opposite ends of a pair of side rails may be secured, members associated with each supporting frame movable back and forth horizontally thereon to which opposite ends of rails may be secured, separate means at opposite ends of the machine connected to said movable members for moving them back and forth, spaced flexible continuous side rails extending between said supporting frames of greater width than thickness with the greater dimension thereof disposed vertically, the said immovable members and movable members provided with openings therethrough and the said rails at opposite ends provided with openings in alignment therewith, securing means insertable in the openings at the ends of the rails and said members to secure the said ends to said members for supporting said rails throughout their length from said members, all adapted and arranged whereby either or both ends of said rails may be held against movement by being secured to the immovable members or moved by said movable members, and members spaced along and secured at their opposite ends to said spaced rails whereby the rails are tied together for simultaneous flexing movements in horizontal planes.

3. The combination in a paper making machine of, stationary supporting frames at opposite ends of the paper machine each having spaced relatively immovable members to which opposite ends of a pair of side rails may be secured, members associated with each supporting frame movable back and forth horizontally thereon to which opposite ends of rails may be secured, separate means at opposite ends of the machine connected to said movable members for moving them back and forth, spaced continuous flexible side rails extending between said supporting frames of greater width than thickness with the greater dimension thereof disposed vertically, the said immovable members and movable members provided with openings therethrough and the said rails at opposite ends provided with openings in alignment therewith, securing means insertable in th openings at the ends of the rails and said members to secure the said ends to said members for supporting said rails throughout their length, all adapted and arranged whereby either or both ends of said rails may be held against movement or moved by said movable members, members spaced along and secured at opposite ends to said rails whereby the rails are tied together for simultaneous flexing movements horizontally, and operating means connected to one of said rails intermediat the ends thereof for flexing the said rail and the other rail tied thereto horizontally.

SAMUEL MILNE. 

